


Autistic Carlos Headcanons

by MetasActReon



Series: Headcanon WTNV Character Lists [1]
Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: A scientist is always fine, Autism, Autism Spectrum, Carlos is Autistic, Carlos-centric, Community help appreciated, Fluff, Headcanon, Heartbreak, Just a list, Not a Story, OF, Stimming, feel free to use, gum is stimming, headcanons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-27
Updated: 2018-02-27
Packaged: 2019-03-24 14:10:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13812831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MetasActReon/pseuds/MetasActReon
Summary: This is just a list of headcanons I plan to use or just want people to know about my main Carlos headcanon in my series currently titled "Autistic Carlos is Beautiful." (Name subject to change) https://archiveofourown.org/series/951003





	Autistic Carlos Headcanons

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, feel free to use any of these if they inspire you! (And feel free to link those inspired works in the comments, give some inspiration credit, whatever. I like reading fan fics as much as I love writing them. Sometimes, I like reading them even more.) Also, if you have a headcanon you'd like to see on this list or have an edit that you think will make one of these better, also comment it. No promises it will be added, but it might be and you may end up with a fan fic surrounding it. Who knows? Take a chance. Have fun.  
> I plan to update this regularly as I learn more about autism and what traits I have that coincide with a fair amount of the autistic community.  
> Come one come all. All help is appreciated, especially from members of the autistic community. I am a currently undiagnosed autistic and have only recently started doing some serious research to figure out how to make my traits a slight bit more manageable in college. I have learned a lot, but I hope that this communal headcanon list will help me learn more, as well as the work on my series.
> 
> There may be some spoilers for my stories in this. To find them, highlight them.

♦   He has a stuffed octopus. He once went to an aquatic zoo and learned how crazy smart octopi are and got a big octopus. He loves the velvety feel of it and twirling the limp tentacles in his hand.

   ♦ He finds that cool living tentacles are also fun to have twirling around his fingers. He is a little amazed at how great a coincidence that is...

♦   He sometimes needs personal space even from Cecil. Just sometimes life is too much to deal with even when there isn’t that much to deal with. He’s usually mute during these times and Cecil knows not to interact with him too much during these times, just enough to take care of him. (food, water, gum offerings)

♦   He has a hard time not touching things that look exceptionally smooth. Like, seriously, how can anyone pass up enticingly smooth surfaces, especially when they actually have the chance and nothing to distract them from such amazing surfaces? _(Seriously? How? Carlos and I, The Almighty MetasActReon, both would like to know._ )

♦   He can find himself mesmerized by colorful lights and geometric designs. He sometimes needs people to pull him away from those things and back to what he's doing.

♦   He will try the craziest ideas in the pursuit of science, many times forgetting that he is a mortal and is going to get himself killed one of these days.

♦   Lab coats are comforting, especially when they are heavier. Pocket filled thick lab coats are the best.

♦   Lavender gum relaxes him and is a huge stim. He stockpiles it everywhere and almost always has a pack on him.

  ♦ The Ralph's stocks his brand specifically for him (and they store it in their small ‘For Science’ section.)

  ♦ Other gum can simultaneously relax him and frustrate him when the flavor is too strong, too strange and the smell is wrong.

♦   In highly stressful (life and death type) situations he either breaks down and loses everything, or he is eerily calm and takes care of business. Depends on the situation, almost never an in between reaction.

♦   He rocks back and forth when he is standing still. It becomes more apparent the longer he stands still and the more stressed out he is.

♦   He is surprisingly good at controlling his hand flapping. He’s spilled too many sciences in the past...

♦   He’s self conscious over his chewing (especially in public,) now. It’s something Cecil still feels guilty for mentioning on the radio. _(He should. Public gushing over your boyfriend is one thing. Public shaming is another._ _Bad tentacle monster, bad_ _.)_

♦   He’s rather brilliant at memorizing lists. (And he indeed has The List memorized.)

♦   He tends to wander off, especially if he spots something scientifically interesting.

  ♦ Cecil usually has to hold Carlos’s hand when he isn’t paying attention, or he may end up losing Carlos.

♦   His past life wasn’t bad, but very few people really took the time to learn and understand how he works. Even most members of his family were a little too ableist which made him feel uncomfortable at home. In Night Vale, things may be crazy and insane, but oddities are accepted and even if the town doesn’t really cater to people's’ needs, most of the residents seem to. He’s never found a place where he feels more at home.

♦   He doesn't handle very sour foods too well and they can quickly put him off to doing anything that can be the least bit stimulating.

♦   “A scientist is always fine.” A scientific lie. There are lab accidents, people get hurt, no one is always fine. But, for Carlos, it's a lie he's always told himself, ever since he first decided to become a scientist. Those who put faith in science are ready for anything, ready to evolve their knowledge no matter what is thrown at them. They are more capable of taking on this world. So a scientist is always fine, he whispers it to himself when stimulus is too much. He whispers this to himself when he feels alone. He whispers this to himself to prevent him from embarrassing himself or others. He whispers this to himself to try and prevent meltdowns. He knows it's a lie, but it's a lie he tricks himself to believe so that he can stop and take in facts, not stimulus.

  ♦ Cecil took a while to learn this but still goes with it unless if he can immediately fix things, because as heartbreaking as those words can be, he knows that they help Carlos power through things.

♦   He keeps the wooden trophy Cecil carved for him near his bed and before he started sleeping with Cecil he always loved to stroke some of the intricately carved tentacles on it before going to sleep. He can sometimes still be caught doing this when he is going to bed before/without Cecil.

♦   He enjoys cooking, for it has so much science in it!, but he is very slow at it. Cooking multiple things at once on the stove is hard and he can be a bit precise with how things are suppose to be done.

♦   When it comes to love language, Carlos tends to show his love through acts of service but prefers to receive words of affirmation (followed by quality time.)

   ♦ Knowing that Cecil appreciates touch a lot, he treats reaching out and making an effort to touch more and accept touches as an act of service. Cecil’s praise helps out a lot and is partly the reason he became so open to Cecil touching him.

♦   Being a little oblivious to subtle hints and atmospheres may be problematic at times, but also makes him a harder target for thought manipulation and mind control, so Carlos tends to be spared from many effects, like the longing to join the Whispering Forest when he wanders too close... or even inside of it. He also is spared from mob mentality and town sweeping ‘fads’ like joining cult circles and mindlessly trying new things out. (Instead he scientifically tries new things out.)

♦   He often forgets to ask for consent type stuff. He cares about consent very much, but he doesn't think about it. This usually leads to him trying to perform experiments before he is informed that his test subject is not willing. (Luckily, his bedtime subject is a little more eager for things and has yet to need to voice unwillingness to do something.)

♦   He’s demi-sexual.

♦   His shirts mostly consist of flannels and science Ts. (So many bad puns.) He wears mostly jeans, though he has a few shorts and a pair of galaxy pants that are comfortable and make him feel a tad bit Cecil-y.

**Author's Note:**

> Just a reminder, this work is a living breathing thing... Ok, not scientifically speaking, but kind of Night Valian speaking. Feel free to help it grow, change and adapt. Hopefully when you check back in, this will be more matured and ready for even more feedback.


End file.
